97 Responses

Is it just me or are a couple of your links broken Russell?I love that Waitangi day is fraught. It shows why NZ is different from Australia and USA etc. etc. We have our own, unique race issue that is still being played out 170+ years on from the signing. It has ebbed and flowed but has never gone away, and it’s good for us as a nation to keep revisiting it because it makes up who we are – just as Christianity, rugby and Anzac Day do. Bring it all on, mix it up in the bowl and let’s make NZ soup.This is why we end up with fascinating musicians like @Peace – bit of reggae, bit of jazz, bit of soul, bit of rock, bit of hip hop but somehow beautiful Koiwoi in its totality.

We walked the Waiheke sculpture trail. It seemed like half of Auckland were going to Waiheke, judging by the people density in the ferry terminal at either end, and the fact that Fullers seemed to give up on a timetable and ran the boats in a continuous shuttle. It was great! Personally, a day to reflect on what a fantastic city we live in.

Listened to National Radio Morning Report coverage from Waitangi. Homekeeping, in the broadest sense. Relaxed and read coincidentally including some on cultural optimism. Found lost wallet: WIN. Went out drank, talked and watched friend win pool over someone she'd never been able to. Home, dinner and 'Colombia' on TV.

Just checked JKs speech and he was just being a knob as usual. Thought he might have said something interesting. It would be fascinating to see if there would have been any Waitangi Tribunal or grievance process if the "activists" had just shut up and gone away back in the 70s and 80s. So-called activists are vital in any battle, whether you agree with them or not, because it is those at the extreme who help shift where the centre ground is.

Thanks Russell. The other one was following this para:"In Auckland yesterday, there were three big outdoor celebrations – the long-running festival at Barry Curtis Park in Manukau, a new one at Henderson Park and a paid show at Bastion Point. Sale St pub touted a Waitangi Day beer festival where (for fuck’s sake) “grass skirts” were appropriate “even for the men”. Or there was this:"Maybe it's because they were Tweets?

1. I'd be far happier with a well-worn vernacular Waitangi Day, complete with scars and painted-over bits, than I would with chucking it out and buying a shiny new New Zealand day from Noel Leemings.

2. And that segues into the marevellousness that was our Waitangi Day. We were hopelessly, ironically far too flat-out helping our three teeniebeasts to become well-rounded kiwi kids to stop and contemplate the meaning of the day in any depth. That meant french toast for breakfast, then piling in the car for a trip to the spectacular Buddhist temple in Botany for a wander, and a wonder about what New Zealand means to this section of immigrants, and a delicious lunch at the excellent vegetarian noodle house there, to the strains of the beats at Barry Curtis Park. Next, some bike riding around the school - then Herne Bay for the insanely-packed high tide, with a beer. Kids, sunshine, happy people, all colours and sizes. It was gorgeous, and I felt at home.

Enjoyed the silent city. Read a bit more Michael King. Did some work. Watched the Nga Tamatoa history on Maori TV including the early 70s Waitangi protests. Gritted teeth at TVNZ's smug bollockry about how all right-minded Kiwis were out 'celebrating' with bbqs on white beaches. Caught some Twitter. Some sleep.

Listened to RNZ from 5 to 6.30am, walk on Tokerau beach with dog, watered plants. Talked to son at 10.30am who was having fresh fruit salad, B&E pie, lettuce parcels, & wine brunch in Kiwi Rd the Chev with cool cousins.

Played Joe Strummer and Mescaleros “Streetcore” reissue with 7 live tracks, Jimmy Cliff and other covers. Checked out FB friends with lots of Waitangi comments. Without namedropping half my friends are Mana supporters and half old V8 boys (and gals)!

Waitangi a work in progress. And hope that the aspirationals will eventually get that “no justice for Māori tonight” demeans us all in various ways.

We ventured out to Henderson Park where I fell asleep in the sun listening to Tahuna Breaks in amongst a very amiable crowd. However when Sola Rosa came on someone on the mixing desk whacked up the bass to 11 and drowned out any vocals etc so we went home and listened to it on the stereo with a wine instead.

Worked in the garden in the morning listening to RNZ until mid-morning, where I thought Dame Anne Salmond provided a text book out-of-touch elite commentary for me to muse over during my hanging basket maintenance. Honestly, if her Pollyanna views on race relations are typical we are in for some fireworks when ivory tower happy clappy collides with surly ZB Waitakere man over the constitutional review.

Then I went and did a bit of shopping, had a nice walk to the top of Mt. Eden, went home and pottered about with my kontiki and at the same time laid low to avoid friends who wanted to persuade me to go with them to the council concert in Henderson. I then deliberately avoided the news.

As I currently on sabbatical a 'day off' is largely theoretical but the day consisted of:

Drove my daughter to the dinky Coalfields Museum in Huntly, where she is doing an internship and loving it--cataloguing baby bonnets, old wedding dresses, c19th hats etc. Then went for a bike ride around nearby Lake Hakanoa, which is surprisingly interesting and has one of the best looking campgrounds in NZ. Asian families fishing for god knows what in the lake.Checked out the preparations for Waitangi Day celebrations by the Waipa River in Ngaruwahia. Spent the afternoon helping friends move furniture and then trimmed overgrown vegetation along the drive, and harvested tomatoes and cucumbers.Then tried to sort out the mysteries of a US visa application

Judging from the lawnmower chorus in my neighbourhood, the appropriate activity on Waitangi Day is gardening. I split my time between a book in the hammock, shifting rocks, laying weedmat, contemplated the lawnmower a couple of times but didn't actually fire it up, and retreated indoors to the Internet (and a G&T) about 6pm after being stung by a wasp.

I went for a drive through the Wairarapa to look for more land to colonise.

Do many peoples anywhere do things to celebrate a national day - as opposed to just taking advantage of the day off? The UK doesn't have one at all, no Queen's Birthday or Remembrance Day. I think that's healthy, particularly in the light of their lack of history worthy of a celebration.

It's interesting to get an idea of the sort of people who read and respond to your blogs. My Waitangi Day involved sleeping in after many nights recently working late, tidying the house, rabbit-proofing our gate (to keep the thing IN), going to a friend's wine-tasting quiz party in Mangere Bridge where I remembered it was actually Waitangi Day by some of NZ History themed questions (This wine's vintage is the same year the NZ Govt cancelled Waitangi celebrations, was it 1988, 1993 or 1998?); then came home, ate fish'n'chips, tidied up the kids' mess, sprayed the fruit trees, showered and watched The Hangover for the first time.

Played computer games in the morning, went to Kings to get a few herbs, which my beloved planted, watched cricket while kneading pasta dough, rode the stationary bike while reading Peter F Hamilton, ate dinner and watched Chuck.

Basically it was a Saturday.

Waitangi day strikes me as charming and odd. It's an important day in the history of NZ but it seems nobody really knows what they want to do with it. Do we want to protest about the harm and inequalities that exist in our society or celebrate a treaty that made a genuine attempt at harmony. And in a society that is increasingly diverse and increasingly proud of the diversity is the focus on only two groups a good or bad thing.

In the end it seems easiest to set aside the big questions, have a BBQ and enjoy the sunshine ... and maybe that's not a bad thing either.